Men working in oil industry risk low sperm quality – NORDICA

WARRI – MEN working in the oil industry alongside those leaving around facilities with petro-chemical exposures like gas flaring have been said to be at risk of low sperm quality.

The warning was given, weekend, by the Assistant Director, NORDICA Fertility Center, Dr. Victor Ajayi during a seminar organized by the center at Warri.

Others at risk of the health issue are smokers, males exposed to x-rays, those who work with their laptops on their thighs, those who keep their cell phones on the front pocket of their trousers and males with obesity and smokers.

“Men leaving and working in the petro-chemical industry and leaving in areas where this chemicals such as gas flaring ensued, science has proven that there is damage of DNA and it’s higher than men who do not have exposure to petro-chemicals,” he stated.

According to him, “there is what we call DNA fragmentation which is damage to the DNA of the sperms. One of the things that have been shown to have damage on sperms is petro-chemicals.

“Science has proven that there is damage of DNA in men working in the petro-chemical industry as well as those leaving in areas where these chemicals are flared. This is also higher when compared to men who do not have exposure to such petro-chemicals.

“Sperms with this condition if they fertilize an egg might not fertilize the egg properly or if the lady gets pregnant, the risk of having a miscarriage is higher.”